Korea's Aristocratic Moods: Re-examining Chosŏn Social and Political History.

Despite the vast influence of 'Chinese culture' on Korea, the Chosŏn dynasty (1392-1910) was a distinct cultural sphere governed by its own internal logic that centred on the aristocracy. Over the past twenty years, the importance of this fact has received emphasis in detailed studies by Deuchler (1992), Palais (1996) and Duncan (2000). The recent works by Hwang, Park and Kim that are the subject of this essay constitute a triptych of studies that further illuminate the implications of social status in Chosŏn and show how South Korea's transformation over the past five decades represents a radical deviation from the defining characteristics of its Confucian past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]